Should women be pilots?

This was the note left for the woman West Jet Captain

When I read the above handwritten note left in a passenger seat that was intended for the West Jet woman Captain to read, one of the first things I did was pull up Proverbs 31 on my iPad.  I had read this chapter before, but I wanted to make sure that I was right in thinking that the lady described in Proverbs was quite an incredible woman.  When I read the chapter my memory was correct.  She was a mother and a landowner who also planted a vineyard.  In verse 17 she sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.  In verse 24 she makes linen garments and sells them and supplies merchants with sashes.  This comes from a book that I try to live by everyday.  I also happen to be one of those lady pilots who transports people from place to place for a living. 

In a former job, I was flying primarily with men as I also do most of the time now.  One of those men was a very religious man and he was also my boss.  He called my husband and asked him to meet him for lunch one day while I was out on a trip.  This guy who I will call Pete (which is not his real name) proceeded to tell my husband that it wasn't right for me to be a pilot.  He told Mike that I would become a captain and then I would start thinking I was the boss and our marriage would be in ruins because of the order of things was wrong.  He also tried to pull things out of the Bible and explain how this was a sin for me to work out of the home.  My husband being a very studious guy and well versed in the Bible was kind of shocked and also confused about how to handle this.  He was talking to my boss so he wanted to be careful not to offend him too much so he finished lunch and came home as mad as anyone you can ever imagine.  He sat me down and told me what had happened with Pete.  I wasn't really surprised except almost weekly I bought raisin bread that his wife made from home and he brought it to work to sell.  We laughed it up and decided not to make a big deal about it.  He is a hypocrite, but I think he had good intentions by trying to warn Mike that the life of a pilot isn’t necessarily an easy road for a family.  That is something that I will agree with.  But I don’t think you will find a verse in the Bible that states a woman shall not fly airplanes for a living.

Over the years, I have heard so many different comments.  You know, we pilots are very close to the door and we hear more than you think when the passengers are boarding a Super 80.  Most of the time they are supportive comments like, “A woman pilot,”  “You go girl!”,  “Women power!” or “I am so proud of you.”  I once had astronaut Sally Ride on my airplane from Dallas to San Diego.  She waited to talk to me after the flight.  She told me how proud she was of my achievements.  Sometimes people are not so nice and I have had flight attendants get really mad and want to take someone off for the mean comments they have made.  I personally am used to it and I tell the flight attendants or agents to just ignore it.  Those people were born in a barn or their mother didn't teach them right.  I guess if I had listened to other people my whole life I wouldn't be doing what I am doing.  So many times people laughed when I told them what I wanted to do for a living.  One guy told me that the airlines would never hire me because I sounded like a dumb hick. 

In reality, that kind of stuff kind of spurs me on.  Gives me drive to make sure I can become the person that God intended me to be.  I have no doubt that God gave me the strength to do what I do.  I am not the smartest and brightest person you will ever meet.  But I have faith and courage and I will work hard to achieve my goals just like any successful person must do.  When the Bible was written they never dreamed of flying hundreds of people across the sky.  So I doubt you can make me believe that flying an airplane is a sin against God.  Just read the Chapter this guy says to read and it will totally make him look like an idiot.  Proverbs 31 verse 31 says “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”  This guy wants to use that to argue that females shouldn't be pilots?  Unfortunately, people sometimes read what they want to see instead of the very words that are in front of them.